FRISCO, Texas – With so many questions to answer, this series takes a look at each position on the roster and what choices face the front office in 2021.
We'll continue at cornerback, focusing on a rookie who showed promise in 2020.
How Good Can Trevon Diggs Be?
The Cowboys have some uncertainty at corner with Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis on expiring contracts. But Diggs, a second-round pick out of Alabama last April, emerged as a current and future starter for a defense that will look different next season under new coordinator Dan Quinn.
In Diggs' first NFL season, he became the only rookie defender in Cowboys history to lead the team in pass breakups (15) and interceptions (3) outright. The Cowboys didn't track pass breakups before 1984, but it's still impressive that Diggs led in both categories despite missing four games with a foot injury.
Pro Football Focus gave Diggs the highest-rated defensive grade among Cowboys cornerbacks in the regular rotation (62.7). Opponents targeted him 76 times, second most on the team. But the Cowboys were impressed by the rookie's competitive spirit and toughness, as well as his ball skills.
"He's a joy to coach," head coach Mike McCarthy said in December. "He definitely has the patience and the ability to move on to the next play. He plays with great confidence.
"I don't know if I've ever seen a young corner with his ball skills. When a ball goes up in the air, it's as much his ball as it is the receiver's ball. He's been very, very impressive not only in the games, but you see it every day on the practice field when he's been out there."
The Cowboys must address Awuzie and Lewis' contract status. As always, free agency and the draft should present options for adding depth.
But Diggs, just 23 years old, is definitely part of their plans moving forward.
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